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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 13584
Contents Publication in full By article 29 / 30
NEWS BRIEFS / Digital

WhatsApp may soon have to comply with DSA rules on ‘very large online platforms’

20/02/2025 (Agence Europe) – The WhatsApp messaging platform announced on 14 February that it had reached the threshold required to be designated as a ‘very large online platform’ (‘VLOP’) under the Digital Services Act (DSA), i.e. more than 45 million users. It said it had reached around “46.8 million monthly active users in the European Union in the six months to December 2024”. When questioned, the Commission confirmed that it would be looking into the matter. “We are...

Contents

ECONOMY - FINANCE - BUSINESS
ECONOMY: by revising InvestEU programme, European Commission hopes to mobilise €50 billion in additional investment between now and 2027
ECONOMY: European Parliament/EU Council agreement on new EU macro-financial assistance to Moldova for 2025-2027
MONEY LAUNDERING: European Parliament shortlists future AMLA Executive Board members
STATE AID: Commission authorises €920 million in German State aid for semiconductor production
INSTITUTIONAL
GERMANY: European immigration and defence policies divide German parties on cusp of general elections
COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS: Kata Tüttő elected head of European Committee of Regions for two-and-a-half-year term
BUDGET: Danuše Nerudová calls for creation of task force on new own resources at European Commission
BUDGET: several Member States question need for discussion on next multiannual financial framework at European Council in March
SECTORAL POLICIES
ENERGY: phasing out Russian gas may mean “bigger imports from United States”, according to Dan Jørgensen
CLIMATE: European Environment Agency stresses need to implement existing legislation in order to achieve 2030 objectives
COHESION: future centralisation of cohesion policy funds is causing concern among EU’s local and regional elected representatives
AGRICULTURE : EU stakeholders concerned about lack of budgetary ambition in vision for agriculture
AGRICULTURE : European Commission allocates €99 million in emergency aid to farmers in five EU countries
EXTERNAL ACTION
UNITED STATES: customs duties - “reciprocity must be beneficial for everyone”, warns Maroš Šefčovič
SWITZERLAND: Commission reiterates to European Parliament its expectations that Bern will benefit from new series of bilateral agreements
SERBIA: Belgrade still needs to make efforts to align itself with EU and initiate reforms necessary for its future accession, according to the MEPs
KOSOVO: for the MEPs, Pristina is on right track in its accession process, but much remains to be done
MEDITERRANEAN: new ‘Pact for Mediterranean’ should be presented in September, according to Dubravka Šuica
MIDDLE EAST: OXFAM also believes that EU should make relations with Israel conditional on respect for international law
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
SOCIAL/EMPLOYMENT: quality traineeships - Polish Presidency of EU Council proposes a new compromise to strengthen directive’s added value
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS - SOCIETAL ISSUES
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: combining the experience of senior members with the creativity of young members - Glenn Micallef initiates EU Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness
EDUCATION - YOUTH - CULTURE - SPORT
EDUCATION: questioned by MEPs, Roxana Mînzatu expressed her determination to secure funding and make education European priority
EYCS: faced with MEPs’ concerns about funding, Glenn Micallef banking on effective targeting of funds
COUNCIL OF EUROPE
UKRAINE: Council of Europe calls on Ukraine to continue its efforts in fight against corruption
Russian invasion of Ukraine
UKRAINE: António Costa on 24 February in Kyiv for third anniversary of Russian invasion
WOMEN’S RIGHTS: EU must step up integration of Ukrainian refugee women, say two NGOs
TRANSPORT: total value of EU-Ukraine trade via ‘solidarity lanes’ is estimated at around €211 billion since May 2022
NEWS BRIEFS
CIRCULAR ECONOMY: NGO Zero Waste Europe regrets lack of ambition in provisional agreement on framework directive on textile and food waste
DIGITAL: WhatsApp may soon have to comply with DSA rules on ‘very large online platforms’
TRANSPORT: European Commission will be taking part in Cruise Week Europe in March